This accessible text brings together research on word reading and comprehension development, which are often treated separately, and provides a comprehensive and detailed introductory text to reading development and difficulties.
Key features include:
An introduction to the important issues in reading research and the skills involved in reading words and understanding text, from the point of view of both a beginner and a skilled reader
A consideration of the similarities and differences between written and spoken language, and the advantages and disadvantages of different methodological approaches
An examination of how failures in reading comprehension skills can create difficulties and disorders
A consideration of the implications of this research for the teaching of reading and the diagnosis and treatment of reading difficulties
This text will be useful to many different groups of readers, not only researchers and students in psychology but also those who work in more applied settings, such as students in education and speech and language therapy, who may have a limited background knowledge of the psychology of reading.
Preface xi
1 Introduction to the study of reading 1
What is reading? 2
The relationship between written and spoken language 4
How to study reading development and reading difficulties 14
Overview of the rest of this book 20
Key point summary 20
Further reading 21
Definitions 22
2 Skilled word reading 25
Word reading: Assessment and sources of variation 26
Models of skilled word recognition 36
Key point summary 42
Further reading 43
Definitions 44
3 The skilled comprehender 47
What do we forget and what do we remember? 48
Local and global coherence 52
Models of text representation 59
Key point summary 63
Futher reading 64
Definitions 64
4 Learning to read words 67
Ways to read words 68
Skills and knowledge that aid word reading development 74
Phases of word reading development 81
What drives word reading development? 85
Key point summary 91
Further reading 93
Definitions 93
5 The development of reading comprehension 95
The relations between word reading, listening comprehension and reading comprehension 96
Skills and knowledge that support reading comprehension 99
Reading comprehension development 112
Key point summary 117
Further reading 118
Definitions 118
6 Developmental dyslexia 121
Developmental dyslexia: Definitions and characteristics 122
Theories of dyslexia 126
A look at subtypes: Are all dyslexic children the same or do different types of dyslexic exist? 134
Dyslexia across the lifespan: Precursors, compensation and consequences 140
Key point summary 144
Further reading 145
Definitions 146
7 Reading comprehension difficulties 147
What is poor reading comprehension? 148
Sources of discourse comprehension failure 153
Causes of discourse comprehension failure 164
The consequences of poor discourse comprehension 166
Key point summary 168
Further Reading 169
Definitions 170
8 Instruction and intervention 171
Instruction and interventions for word reading 172
Instruction and interventions for reading comprehension 179
Support and instruction for reading development 185
Key point summary 188
Further reading 189
Definitions 190
9 The assessment of reading 191
Assessment matters 192
Word reading assessment: What, when and how? 196
The assessment of reading comprehension: What, when and how? 201
Key point summary 209
Further reading 210
Definitions 210
10 The Simple View of Reading: A framework for the study of reading development and reading difficulties 213
The Simple View of Reading: A brief overview 214
The Simple View of Reading and reading development 215
The Simple View of Reading and reading difficulties 218
The Simple View of Reading: An evaluation 219
Reading development and reading difficulties: Implications 220
Conclusions 221
Further reading 222
Definition 222
Bibliography 223
Glossary 247
Index 253
